Yesterday following the not guilty decision handed down to Elmer Nah et al, his common law wife's attorney spoke with the media. During the interview, Richard "Dickie" Bradley mentioned that the Defense Attorneys Association would be issued a statement condemning the law that forced anyone who is charged with firearm offenses to be remanded for 90 days. Bradley says it's time for that law to change.
But today when the media asked the CEO of Kolbe Foundation about it, he said there have been instances where the accused does not remain on remand for 90 days, so he's not exactly sure if that law is in place.
Here's what both Bradley and Murillo had to say on the matter.
Dickey Bradley, Attorney
"The police were rang from the getgo to charge all three persons and have them subjected to what they were subjected to. You all know that when they charge you for ammunition and firearms, you automatically go to jail."
"The time has come for that law to be amended. That is unfair to hundreds and hundreds of citizens in this country. When you are charged it's an allegation against you, you will hear a public release from the association of some 18 or 21 defense lawyers who are convinced in their minds that now at the Supreme Court, the High Court, there is a marked difference where it's almost like a special effort to deny bail to the citizens of Belize."
"When you are charged by the police, it's an allegation against you. It can't be fair that you must go to jail for minimum 90 days and the court is being encouraged not to interfere with the 90 days period if the case has to do with an indictable offense."
"It means hundreds and hundreds of people will remain in jail longer than 90 days. I need you in the media to help us to send a message to the court that they are in our respectful view, wrongly interpreting the law to say that people must go to jail for 90 days, even if that is the intention of the law makers."
"And I'm hurt that a PUP government come in and continue with that law and they have actually tampered with it to make matters worse. But that is for another day."
Virgilio Murillo, CEO, Kolbe Foundation
"I don't know what the law says about that if the law even says something about that because I have seen people arrested for firearm offenses who have come here and within a week they have gotten their bail."
"So I don't know that the law makes it mandatory, unless that law was recently changed. But I am sure that I have seen a few persons who have come to prison for firearm related offenses, whether it's unlicense ammunition or firearm. And I've seen them get out of here within a week. The 90 days, I cannot recall that it's right across the board. And how they do it to get out in one week's time or two weeks' time, or 21 days' time, I have no clue."
"So I don't want to speak on that. I would literally have to go into the penal files for all of these inmates that have come to prison for firearm related offense, and hone in on what is really the picture."
Notably, Murillo today confirmed that 20 or fewer persons are currently on remand for firearm offenses.
